TRUSTEE MEETING Grant means residents can recycle tires for free

The fire department may charge at-fault drivers for services at accident scenes. BROOKFIELD -- Residents will soon have an opportunity to get rid of unwanted scrap tires while doing something to make their community cleaner. Trustee chairman Philip Schmidt announced at Monday's trustee meeting that people will be able to recycle old tires up to 16 inches in diameter on or off rims. People will be able to drop off their tires from 8 a.m. to noon May 7 at the road department building, behind the fire station on state Route 7. Schmidt stressed that the recycling is for Brookfield Township residents only and that people should bring no more than eight tires at a time. The township was a recipient of a $3,300 Geauga-Trumbull Solid Waste District grant, which will be used for the project and to haul the scrap away. Removing old tires will minimize breeding grounds for mosquitoes, Schmidt said. Ambulance In other business, Fire Chief Keith Barrett said he is looking to replace one of three township ambulances with a larger van-type vehicle. The new vehicle, estimated to cost between $135,000 and $150,000, would have more room for patients and emergency personnel and would replace the 10-year-old ambulance, Barrett said, adding that he will have more information about the vehicle in about a month. Barrett said his department is considering enforcing a state law that allows people at fault in motor-vehicle accidents to have their insurance billed for services rendered at the scene. The party at fault can be charged for extrication, cleanup at the scene, the use of the Jaws of Life and other services, he said. Barrett said the department charges $25 for medical calls that do not require transportation to a hospital. That amount can be charged if, for example, drugs or IV lines are administered at the scene to someone who does not wish to go to the hospital, he added.